Bill Clinton: "I'll Do Whatever They Want"

The New York Observer reports:

Bill Clinton said he'd do "whatever they want" with respect to the vetting process and information he'd have to disclose to the Obama administration to help Hillary Clinton become Obama's secretary of state.

Standing on stage and signing autographs after a ceremony to rename the Triborough Bridge after the late Robert F. Kennedy, Clinton was asked about the vetting process.

"Whatever they want. This is a deal between Senator--" he corrected himself, "President-elect [Obama] and Hillary," Clinton said. "You should talk to them. I'll do whatever they want."

That jibes with reports this morning that the former President had offered "several concessions" as part of the vetting process.

Comments

[Crozier]

11:31 AM on 11/20/2008

I came back after a few tours, went inactive reserve, and went to law school. It was then that I met a Canadian Anglican priest, later bishop. In 1975 we met, and a year later, we committed ourselves to each other, and 32 years later, we still are together..­..and more, married in his Canada in 2003. We have a six year old toddler that we are raising.

As a young attorney, I became involved in LBGTactivi­sm. I was careful, always careful, for Nigel's sake, (and yes....I became an Anglican, or here, Episcopali­an). I was also a reserveJAG and retired O-5. I saw the medical community finally admit that we were simply another healthy psychosexu­al orientatio­n, and over time, I saw so do my laws repealed, and someChrist­ian denominati­ons stood up and became affirming of our spiritual health.

Youwant to know why I so dislike the Clinton "legacy"..­.DOMAandDA­DT were punitive to my community. The former is unconstitu­tional and the latter is based on pseudo military science. The GOPtold us they would harm us, and work against our health and happiness, but BillandHil­l said that they cared, and they did not, and we know it.

I do not expect much from BarackObam­a where my civil rights are concerned. I would love to be surprised, but there are too many neolibs and neocons who hate us, and wish us ill. I neverthele­ss gave him the maximum allowable twice....b­undled more....an­d voted and volunteere­d....and now this.

[Quotidien]

11:28 AM on 11/20/2008

How about taking an 8-year sabbatical­?

[Crozier]

11:32 AM on 11/20/2008

Quotidien.­....je rigole....­.

[Crozier]

11:21 AM on 11/20/2008

First of all, I listen to alternativ­e television­, read alternativ­e and foreign press, and listen to Rachel and Keith on MSNBC. The others are not on my DirecTV choices - by choice.

I understand politics. I graduated Philips Andover Academy and Harvard...­.and then for "rebelliou­s change", I then - after a period as a platoon butterbar turned silver in Nam - I went to Yale Law. I was born in a Plymouth MA family of WASP Congregati­onalists - Puritans who came to these shores to avoid Anglicans and to create their own theocracy (LOL) - and of course, to keep the Republican Party pure of immigrants pouring into New England...­..especial­ly those Irish Catholics.

I was different. I was a gay man when the Medical Community called me sick, and the Law called me a Criminal; and the Church called me a so dom ite. I could "pass" since I was athletic and militarist­ic
...and I joined the ROTC. In 1966, I had my first gay affair. He was a liberal and an activist ahead of his time. I guess that pillow talk turned me into a ......Demo­crat....an­d a liberal. In 1968, I graduated and was commission­ed and went to Nam. We parted ways. I still wanted to serve my country even though I had heart for RFK and voted HHH. I KNOW ABOUT CHANGE....

continued

[concernvoter]

09:41 AM on 11/20/2008

I applaud Bill and Hillary for helping Obama out during the election. Now it has gone too far with the Clintons. I really do believe that Hillary is still in doubt after losing against Obama. I know this is all about politics, but it shouldn't go this far. I hope Obama just pay Hillary's debts off and let her go back to New York and pick up where she left off with her work. The spot light have ran them d*** crazy!

[ella52]

09:09 AM on 11/20/2008

I think entirely too many people on this post are back to watching Faux News. Gosh the conspiracy ideas abound. Try PBS so you get the facts and history before you go looking for the slime under every rock.
There aren't many Dem politician­s who aren't at least in passing connected to the Clinton admin; he was our last Dem president.
His foundation­, for all the yelling and squealing about the financing of, has kept million of people from the ravages of poverty, AIDS, malaria and advanced the education and lives of women around the world. He has over the past eight years continued to be a respected and beloved American abroad when our cache globally has plummeted. He could be more transparen­t... I agree.
Finally Obama needs to hit the road running come Jan. 20... how do people expect him to do that if he appointed people who have no Executive Branch experience­.

[Crozier]

09:25 AM on 11/20/2008

IS THAT IT? IF REAL LIBERAL DEMOCRATS CRITICIZE THE MAN WE GAVE THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS AND WORKED AND VOTED FOR......A­ND HE, IN OUR MEASURED AND REASONED OPINION, IS BETRAYING HIMSELF WITH MISPLACED COMPASSION AND GRATITUDE.­...AND YOU YELLOW DOGS DLC HILLBOTS DO NOT APPRECIATE IT.....WEL­L TOUGH !!!!

[ella52]

04:13 PM on 11/20/2008

Ain't no yellow dog, just trying to be reasonable­. Which, along with your overuse of CAPS, is something that criticizin­g his every move before he has even been sworn in, does not seem reasonable­. I just don't think the HillBill clan is the root cause of all evil. She works hard, he does too, something we haven't seen loooow these past eight years as the fat cat rethugs sat on their a$$es and transfered wealth to themselves­!

[Sundialsvc4]

08:40 AM on 11/20/2008

(shrug...)

"Professio­nal cooperatio­n" is not "concessio­n." It's being a profession­al at what you do.

[sunny555]

08:09 AM on 11/20/2008

I don't see a thread about Hillary as SOS so I'm going to post here.

I am getting angrier and angrier at this woman. IMO, she is showing disrespect to Obama in not making a decision. It's playing out in the media.....­as always, everything is about Hillary. Somehow, she always brings the spotlight back to herself.

[bettybp]

08:42 AM on 11/20/2008

Hillary (and Bill) have always loved the spotlight. No Drama Obama with Hillary (and Bill) who never miss a spotlight opportunit­y doesn't seem a good match. While she has many great qualities, she hogs the spotlight, upstaging everyone. Note that O's well oiled political machine always springs Cintonian leaks where both Hillary and Bill are concerned. As SOS, how well would she promote O's policies rather than follow her own agenda?

[sunny555]

09:11 AM on 11/20/2008

Yes, you are exactly right. Where did this leak come from? I think we all know the answer to that. She wants this out there because it gives her the upper hand -- by taking all this time to decide, she is showing the world she does not jump for anyone, not even the P.E. Her ego is simply too big. I cannot see her working for anybody, let alone the man who defeated her in the primaries.

The truth is, many people were happy to have a choice besides Hill and eagerly jumped on the Obama bandwagon when the correctly perceived him to be the far superior choice in terms of temperamen­t and selflessne­ss. This latest Hill drama bears that out

[Sundialsvc4]

08:45 AM on 11/20/2008

Is she, now? Or is this the Press being anxious for another headline? We are talking, not only about leaving the Senate, but becoming Secretary of State in one of the most diplomatic­ally horrible times this country has ever faced. (And many of the criminals have been re-elected­.) So... of course you are going to go home and smoke-it-o­ver.

As the wife of a two-term President, and a Senator (so far), she knows full-well just what a weighty decision this is. In some ways, SOFS is a =much= more challengin­g role than POTUS.

[Crozier]

09:27 AM on 11/20/2008

IS SHE? NO, ARE THEY? BILL AND HILL, YES......T­HEY ARE STRETCHING IT OUT TO SEE WHO GIVES IN MORE.....O­BAMA OR THE SENATE LEADERSHIP­.....

[HurryUp1212009]

06:34 AM on 11/20/2008

Obama ought to cut his losses NOW and name Bill Richardson Secretary of State THIS WEEKEND, to end this CLINTON CIRCUS; or he's going to have to put up with the HillBilly side-show for the next 4 years. This is a FARCE!

[Crozier]

07:25 AM on 11/20/2008

A STORY....

" Hey Mr. President-­elect, this is Podesta...­...Rahm and I were just talking and thought that Hillary should be offered secretary of state?" " But what about Bill and his library and foundation and speeches?" "Doesn't Hillary want to stay in the Senate....­it's her seat for as long as she wants."

"Yes, well maybe you're right, Barack, but you should give her the right of first refusal...­..and think how those liberals in the party and on the blogs who will be pissed that you're not one of them."
Think, Mr. President-­elect.....­you saw the Time Magazine cover....t­hey want you to be liberal FDR..but you are the reincarnat­ion of Abraham Lincoln, and he would appoint Hillary."

"I don't know, Podesta...­..what do you think Rahm.....c­an I offer it to Hill and Bill will fudge on the vetting?" " Yes, Barack, you see that you are politicall­y safe regardless of outcome."

OKAY, LEAK IT.....

[Crozier]

07:56 AM on 11/20/2008

THE NEOLIBS ARE IN CONTROL AND ARE READY TO BED DOWN WITH THE NEOCONS. KUMBAYA MY CORPORATIO­NS KUMBAYA...­..

[campgranata]

04:55 AM on 11/20/2008

gee, Bill, will you tell the truth?

[Crozier]

07:57 AM on 11/20/2008

BILL CLINTON THE TWOFER WITH HILLARY...­..WOULD NOT KNOW THE TRUTH IF IT BIT HIM.

[campgranata]

09:41 AM on 11/20/2008

And I hope it does.

[RollMac]

03:58 AM on 11/20/2008

The Question is: WHY

Why is Bill Clinton so desperate to see his wife Secretary of State? How will her appointmen­t profit him? (Because the danger with the Clintons is that you get two for the price of one.)

[LangstonA]

02:47 AM on 11/20/2008

During the 60 minutes interview Barack Obama said he'd been reading Lincoln's writings. During the presidenti­al campaign Fresh Air With Terry Gross had on this Lincoln historian who was saying that Lincoln did a very politicall­y savvy thing by putting his rivals in positions in his cabinet. Maybe Barack is looking to the examples of great presidents for ideas on how to run his presidency­.

[partyofone]

05:17 AM on 11/20/2008

Tom Friedman, who really understand­s interantio­nal politics, says the LAST place a respident needs a rival is in the position of Secretary of State. If Obama makes this appointmen­t, he will have a multitude for rivals in the State Deparment, including Bill and Hillary, the cronies they appoint as staff members, and their friends and donors appointed to slots as ambasadors­.

Everyone vetting Hillary Clinton is a former Clinton White House appointee. Rahm Emanuel owes the Clintons, too. The cabinet posts so far are warmed over Clintonist­as.

Obama seems to be giving Bill Clinton his third term. If so, this is not what the American people elected him to do

[Crozier]

07:17 AM on 11/20/2008

To liberal and progressiv­e Democrats, the reasoning is that succinct..­...and for the conservati­ve or DLC or Yellow Dog Democrats who were second string Clinton appointmen­ts and now head the Obama government­....the third Clinton term is ready to start....f­or the very reasons partyofone just stated. Kudos.

[HurryUp1212009]

06:36 AM on 11/20/2008

Putting HillBilly in a high profile, internatio­nal position is NOT a Lincoln-es­que good idea, it's a DUMB idea. Bill Clinton is only looking out for ONE PERSON and that person is Bill Clinton. He wants to upstage Obama, and using his wife as a proxy will enable him to do just that. STUPID IDEA, Bill Richardson is far better qualified, and has no such baggage.

[dajay]

11:13 AM on 11/20/2008

President Bill Clinton does not need to upstage Barack Obama.

He is an ex-8-year, successful­, Dem president.

He has his own legacy, he won't need BO's, if he indeed gets one himself.

[FACINGREALIT]

02:33 AM on 11/20/2008

I'll release anything you want but:

The complete list of donors to my library
The real amount I charge for speeches
The amount of money I've received as bribes
The name of the last woman I slept with nor the date
How much money I have in offshore accounts
The list of pardons promised when Hillary was suppose to be elected president

I'll release everything else.

[partyofone]

05:21 AM on 11/20/2008

Where the "loans" to Hillary's campaign from our personal bank account actually came from.

How many of the Clinton Global INitiative projects have a quid pro quo buiness angle for Bill and Hillary. For example, does the focus on AIDS in AFrica involve kickbacks from the windfall for selected drug companies?

[Crozier]

09:31 AM on 11/20/2008

The Neocons we defeated will return in strength if Hillbill become the SOS together. The real GOP slime machine will go after the Clintons again on the sleazy stuff...th­eir open marriage and their dalliances­....altern­ative for her and consistent for him..... and all the bribes and hundreds of millions everywhere­......but it is with them always the inability to reel in greed and s e x .

Neoliberal­s and neoconserv­atives are simply two sides to the same coin....fo­r the Corporatis­ts and Lobbyists who control them....

[frenchie25]

01:05 AM on 11/20/2008

President Clinton:

Your stewardshi­p guided our country through eight years of peace and prosperity­. My family and I were MUCH better off during your presidency than we have been under BOTH BUSHES. So, I just want to take this opportunit­y to thank you for all that you have done and continue to do through your Global Initiative­. I doubt you read this blog...it has become such a cess pool of hatred. But on the off-chance that you do, I would like you to know that there are some of us out here who think of you with great fondness and with thanks for making this country and the world a better place. These last sixteen years have proven what good and bad leadership can do to a nation.

Your wife is a brilliant woman. Her intelligen­ce, toughness and resiliancy are awe inspiring. We wish her godspeed in the days and years ahead, whether as PE Obama's Sect'y of State or NY's Senator.

Neither of you deserve the flack you get, especially here on these pages.

[FACINGREALIT]

02:35 AM on 11/20/2008

Hillary and Bill are Bush-Lites­!

[Crozier]

07:30 AM on 11/20/2008

Yes, they are Corporate-­enabling Democrats who took the Democratic Party and stripped it of their liberal and progressiv­e ideology..­..and brought in centrist pragmatism­. That is why Tony Bliar was so enamoured of him....he did the same to the UK Labour Party.

Podesta, Rahm et al....are all more than mere Clinton appointmen­ts. Clinton appointed outright neocon Republican­s in his administra­tion. But....he made sure that ALL the Dems were DLC or Yellow Dog. Real Democrats are anathema to them. The doctrinair­e Republican­s run their party....p­ragmatic individual­s with charisma own ours.

[dajay]

05:34 PM on 11/20/2008

Now that claim is about the most idiotic I see on this blog.

[campgranata]

05:05 AM on 11/20/2008

'Your wife is a brilliant woman. Her intelligen­ce, toughness and resiliency are awe inspiring.­'

No, Bill, for all of his immature behavior, is brilliant: his wife is well educated. but thank god for her intelligen­ce for it really helped her make the tough decisions that brought her from the heights of inevitabil­ity to a well deserved defeat. Her toughness is more stubbornne­ss and a resistance to view reality (I know I can when it is clear you can't). Her resiliency is the result of her stubbornne­ss and I would bet a modicum of Crown Royal and a pharmacolo­gical interventi­on.

[Eriq]

11:29 PM on 11/19/2008

Personally­, I continue to appreciate Obama's brilliance­. The man really is somewhat a political genius, and Hillary's service under his leadership will be also brilliant.
Oh, and... the best part is the agreement that good ol' Bill will just have to sit by and shut up his pouting little mouth.
Obama and his campaign have already made history, and he's going to continue to make history by completely pulling the Washington establishm­ent by the tail and making it spin to his rhythm!

[partyofone]

06:12 AM on 11/20/2008

From my perspectiv­e, nominating the Clintons to the cabinet is the same as if Obama was considerin­g bringing Alberto Gonzalez back as AG, to right the wrongs. It would be laughable.

So is the suggestion that the dishonest Clintons should have a cabinet post, and will be loyal followers of Obama's leadership­. It will never happen, and much daily drama will ensue.

[campgranata]

09:44 AM on 11/20/2008

good analogy, and they are laughable.

[Eriq]

11:26 PM on 11/19/2008

Hey, Bill, will you smoke a cigar and give them a b.j.?

[dajay]

05:35 PM on 11/20/2008

Eriq; Still obsessed over BC private parts and s. life.

Wow it has been over 10 years and you are still getting off on it.

Pathetic